Folding scaffold-bracket.



'PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903.,

G. A. PIERCE. FOLDING SGAFFOLD BRACKET.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1902.

NO IODEL.

I jzvevv h aeorge clzfaewoe,

NITED STATES Patented June 30, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ALLYN PIERCE, OF WALPOLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALTON N. CLARK, OF WALPOLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING SCAFFOLD-BRACKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,584, dated June 30, 1903.

Application filed September 18, 1902. Serial No. 123,877. (No model.) I

To aZZ whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, GEORGE ALLYN PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at lValpole, county of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Folding Scaffold-Brackets, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to scaffold-brackets, and has for its object to provide a simple bracket which can be readily folded and which when extended has a maximum strength.

In Figure 1 I have illustrated a perspective View of my improved bracket as extended for use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, parts of the bracket being broken out to better show the construction. Fig. 3 is a view of the bracket when folded. Fig. 4 is a section on the line aim, Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a section on'the line y y, Fig. 2.

These brackets as usually constructed comprise an upright or body portion to which is hinged an arm which when in operative position extends substantially horizontally and supports the staging and abrace det-achably secured to either the arm or the upright, or both, so that the bracket can be folded.

My improved bracket, which will be more specifically hereinafter described, while embodying these three essential elements of any bracket, has certain features of construction which render it superior to any bracket now known to me.

The upright portion of the bracket is designated by 3 and will be hereinafter termed the body portion.

The arm which in folding brackets is usually hinged to the upright portion is designated by 4 and the brace by 5.

In-my improved structure I have hinged the body portion and arm together in a peculiar manner, so as to secure the greatest possible strength. The hinge I preferably use is a strap-hinge, one leaf, 6, of which is secured to the back side of the body portion 3 in any suitable way and the other leaf, 7, of which is bent around the inner end of the arm 4 and extends beneath the arm, the said leaf being of course secured to the arm in any suitable way. This construction carries the pivotal point 8 of the hinge above the end of the arm 3 and at a point substantially in line.

with the upper surface of the arm 4 and also enables the inner end of the arm 4 to have a square flat bearing upon the upper end of the body portion when the bracket is extended. Any downward pressure upon the arm is therefore transmitted directly to the end of the body portion 3 without submitting the hinge to any strain whatever. This I consider as quite important, becausein many of the forms of bracket now in use the hinge is one of the weak parts.

The brace 5 is hinged to thebody portion 3 in any suitable way, as at 9.

In order to get the greatest possible strength and stiffness inthe bracket and at the same time to relieve the hinge 9 or any other, part which may be attached to the bracket or arm from the strain to which the brace is subjected, I provide the ends of the brace with tenons 10 and 11, respectively, which when the brace is extended engage mortises 12 and 13 in the body portion and arm, respectively. This construction effectively relieves the hinge 9-from any strain and transmits the strain to which the brace is subjected directly to the body portion 3 without transmitting it through some part attached to the body portion, as has been heretofore done. This I-consider as quite important, because such attached parts as hinges orlugs are liable to become broken off, in which case, of course, the bracket would collapse and the structure supported thereby fall. I

To look the bracket extended, I have herein shown a spring-catch 15, which is carried by the brace 5 and which engages a shoulder 16' (herein shown as a metal plate) at the back side of the mortise 13.

The bracket when in use is clamped to the wall or other supporting structure by means of the usual bolt 20, which passes through the wall and has the clamping-nut 21 applied thereto.

In my improved structure I have provided the body portion 3 with a socket 22, into which the head 23 of the bolt is received, said socket preferably being lined with a metal plate 24.

The socket is shown as of such a depth that the head of the bolt stands below or comes flush with the front side of the body portion 3, and a suitable cap or guard 25, which may be pivoted to the plate 24, serves to hold the bolt in position. This is of great advantage, because in the placing of the brackets in position it is customary for the workman to insert the bolt through the body portion 3 and then raise the bracket to the desired place and attempt to insert the bolt 20, which is carried by the bracket, through the aperture in the wall of the building or other supporting structure. It is not always easy to bring the bolt properly in alinement with the hole into which it is to be inserted, and hence instead of forcing the bolt through the aperture the bolt is frequently forced out of the body portion 3. With my improved structure, however, the boltis held in position and the workman can readily insert the bolt in the hole in the supporting structure without any danger of the bolt being forced out of the bracket.

When the bracket is not in use, it may be folded, as shown in Fig. 3, this being accomplished by removing the bolt 20, releasing the latch 15, and swinging the arm at about the hinge 8 to the back side of the body 3. The brace may then be folded against the inside of the body and the bolt 20 inserted through alined holes in the brace and arm to hold them in such position.

The structure herein described may be varied in minor ways without in any way departing from the invention as expressed in the appended claims, and consequently I reserve the right to make any and all such changes as come within the said claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a folding scaffold-bracket, a body portion, an arm hinged to the upper end thereof, a brace hinged to the body portion and having a tenon on each end to engage mortises in the body portion and arm respectively, and an automatic catch carried by the brace and adapted to engage a keeper on the arm.

2. In a folding scaffold-bracket, a body portion, an arm hinged to the upper end thereof,

a brace hinged to the body portion and having a tenon on each end to engage mortises in the body portion and arm, respectively, a spring-catch carried by the brace and adapted to enter the mortise on the arm and engage a shoulder therein for the purpose of locking the brace and arm together.

3. In a folding scaffold-bracket, a body portion having a square upper end, an arm having a square inner end which is adapted to rest upon the square upper end of the body portion, a brace hinged to the body portion and having tenons to enter mortises in the arm and body portion, respectively, combined with a strap-hinge connecting the body portion and arm, one leaf of said hinge being attached to the back side of the body portion, and the other leaf being bent around the square inner end of the arm and secured to the under side thereof.

4. In a folding scaffold-bracket, a body por-' tion, an arm united to the upper end thereof by a strap-hinge the leaves of which are substantially the same width as the body portion and arm, one leaf of said hinge being attached to the back side of the body portion, and the other leaf being bent around the square inner end of the arm and secured to the under side thereof, and a brace having a mortiseand-tenon joint with both the body portion and the arm.

5. In a folding scaffold-bracket, a body portion, an arm hinged to the upper end there of, a brace hinged to the body portion and having a tenon on each end to engage mortises in the body portion and arm respectively, an automatic catch carried by the brace and adapted to engage a keeper on the arm, combined with a bolt removably supported by the body portion and adapted to secure the bracket to the supporting structure, and means to lock the bolt in the body portion.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE ALLYN PIERCE.

Witnesses:

ALEXANDER M. BRoWN, EDMUND GROVER. 

